Don't Forget Fairy Tail !
by Hanayuhana
Summary: The strongest and loudest guild in Fiore welcomes the return of their Ace Wizard, Gildarts. Trouble arise when the weather turns for the worse and the arrival of a long lost member who carries a heavy burden. / a bit of natsuxocxgray (if you don't like the story, don't read)
1. Chapter 1

In the outskirts of Magnolia, a powerful wind was heading its way. Little did the citizens know, the wind was heading straight for the lively guild, Fairy Tail.

"Let us drink!" Master Markov shouted in his tipsy state. Even though it was passed noon, any time is a perfect time to drink as long as you're a guild member. The guild members roared in agreement with their drinks raised.

"You're always drinking so much, Master." Gildarts sighed and leaned against the bar table. He took a seat next to the old man and ordered a small drink. Master shot him a look as if what he said brought down the mood, but in a split second Master went back to happily drinking. Gildarts shook his head at the goofy smile the Master portrayed and drank his own drink. He stared at the man's flamboyant hat and wondered where he could of bought such a thing."You and Cana both." He shook his head again and waited for Master to scold him, but the noise level within the guild was rising. He looked to where the noise initated to see Natsu and Happy walking into the guild. He was surprised to see them come back so earlier after completing a request they took this morning. Natsu dropped his bag beside the request board and lets out a loud sigh. He scanned the entire lounge area in search for someone to fight.

"Where's Gray?" He shouted, looking left and right. He was all fired up – literally.

"Yo, Natsu!" Master greeted after getting his barrel refilled. The boy ran over excitedly leaving a trail of smoke.

"Gramps, seen Gray any where?" He grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"He went out with Lucy awhile ago to pick up some errands for me." Mira answered softly behind the bar counter.

"How was your trip?" Gildart asked.

"Awe man, I was looking forward to show him this new move I created." Natsu huffed in disappointment. "It's REALLY cool."

"Really cool!" Happy grinned, floating next to them. Suddenly, Natsu's face made a dent in the floor. Happy froze in shock to see such a massive crater made. Mira sighed while Master only giggled to himself.

"If someone asks you a question, you should answer." Gildarts said and pulled his arm back.

"R-Right." Natsu replied, twitching as he did. The two older men laughed at the boy who recovered quickly. "It was great! Surprisingly easy too." He grinned," Oh yeah, on our way back, the wind blowing by us was HUUGE!" He exclaimed.

_Wind? _Gildart thought and frowned.

"Could it be Wendy? I felt an amazing magic power with it." Nastu smiled, "Oh, where's Juvia or Gajeel anyway?"

Gildart got up from his stool and walked over to the window that faced Magnolia. He looked out to the sky to see the bright sunny day was darkening.

"Ahh, it's soo cold!" Lucy exclaimed as the doors slammed behind her and Gray. The sound of the wind blowing could be heard behind them.

"What the hell is wrong with this weather?" Gray asked despite not being affected by the sudden change in temperate. He took Lucy's share of the errands and brought it over to Mira. "Back already?" He glanced over at Natsu.

"Yeah, I need to show you something." Natsu smiled mischievously.

"What make you think I want to see it?" Gray brushed pass him and helped Mira unpack. Natsu ran over and engaged in a fight with Gray who didn't mind at all.

"She's back, isn't she? It feels like her." Master walked over to Gildart who's gaze never left the sky.

"I wonder what's the reason." Gildart said with a shrug and shook his head. " She left without a reason. The wind seems like it's not going to die down."

"What's going on?" Lucy asked when suddenly the ground started to move which soon everyone recognized was the Gildart Shift. The party halted and everyone stared at Gildart as he stood by the door.

"Eh, you're leaving old man?" Natsu stopped midway from sending Gray flying. Since he was distracted, Gray took the chance to knock him over.

"But you've only been back for several weeks." Gray added.

"No." Gildart replied and shook his head. He pushed the door open and revealed the narrow walkway Gildart Shift made. He brought his arms up to block the harsh winds blowing into the guild. From very far, he saw someone walking slowly towards the guild. "She's back."

"She?" Natsu walked over. Gray, Lucy and Happy followed him as well. "What.. who do you mean?" He asked cautiously.

"No.. it can't be ... could it?" Gray nudged Natsu.

"Who are you guys talking about?" Lucy looked out curiously, but the wind pushed her back. She looked at the two boys that fell silent.

"H-Haruhi.." Happy's eyes widened. His wings disappeared and he leaned by the door. The sound of that very name knocked the air out of Natsu.

"Ha..ru..hi." He mumbled to himself, unable to breath properly. Gildarts and the others looked out the door to see a miniature tornado right by the gates of the guild. Once the girl took a step through the gates, the wind ceased and there she was. She had long pastel pink hair with pale blue eyes. She wore a black tank top with a plain white kimono like jacket and black pants that were baggy at the top and tight below the knees. With each step she took, the harder Natsu breathed. Even though he wasn't facing her, his smell and hearing was top notch.

"You're back, huh?" Gildarts smiled as the girl stopped right in front of them. She was breathing heavily as if she had ran all the way here. The distant look in her eyes left and she looked at them with a slight puzzled look.

_She looks just like how Gildart first came back. I guess she's just as destructive as he is._ Lucy thought, _The amazing thing is that she looks like a doll._

Natsu and Gray's head slowly turned. They both stumbled back simultaneously in shock. Their body went rigid at the sight of her. She glanced over at them and made eye contact with Natsu. All the memories of the three's past flashed before the boys eyes. Scenes of Haruhi in distress and in pain sent waves of guilt through them.

"Haruhi.." Natsu swallowed hard. His mouth was dry and he didn't know what to say. Right before them, Haruhi's legs gave out and she fell forward. Her eyes fluttered, but ended up closing shut. Luckily, before she fell Gildart caught her in time. A sense of panic went through Natsu and Gray as they both turned to Mira for help. Lucy went ahead and consoled the boys while Mira and Gildart went to the infirmary. Complete silence went through the guild as Haruhi was brought into the infirmary. Everyone was expecting to have a grand welcoming home party, but they had no idea things would turn out like this. "G-Gray.. Haru -"

"I-I know." Gray answered and stared at his shaking hands. Flashbacks of how frighteningly cold his hands were that night came into his mind. He shook his head vigorously and ran after Gildart and Mira. On the other hand, Natsu was afraid. He was afraid of looking into the eyes of someone he let down. Someone who he promised to protect, but couldn't.

"We shall celebrate once Haruhi feels better." Master announced to which everyone agreed. The entire guild went back to normal, but this time they quietly did their own things.

"Natsu..." Lucy grabbed his arm, "Are you..." Before she had the chance to finish her sentence, the boy was off. He ran down the pathway and went straight home. "I wonder what had happened between them." She mumbled.

"It's complicated." Happy responded as he too also stared at Natsu running.

"You're not going after him?" Lucy crouched down and placed her hand on his head. Happy shook his head and sighed.

"No, Natsu needs some time alone." His eyes fell to the ground, "I also want to see how Haruhi is." He walked away. Lucy sighed and admired the bright blue skies that were temporarily dark.

_I hope someone tells me something soon or my big mouth might say something wrong._ She sighed once more before heading to the infimary.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mira, do you know what's wrong with her? "Gray asked anxiously. He was at Haruhi's bed side, watching the girl having trouble breathing.

"I'm not sure." Mira shook her head sadly. "It seems like a fever, but it seems more than that."

"No, I suspect she overused her magic." Gildart interrupted and crossed his arms. He stared at Haruhi's face with sternly, "This happened before." He said, thinking back to the past when she had first came to him in her current state.

"What do we do then?" Gray continued to ask. He felt helpless to the situation they were in. He just wanted Haruhi to be okay.

Gildart sighed, "We have to wait for her to come through."

"Are you sure, Gildart?" Happy clung onto him. "She looks like she's in pain."

"Poor thing." Master walked in. He leaped up onto the bed and sat next to Gildar who was sat at the foot of her bed. "If only Wendy was here. Perhaps she could take away the pain Haru is in."

"Wendy should be back tomorrow morning." Lucy answered and quietly walked over. Gray hits the wall with his fist which shook the shelves by the bed. Lucy and Happy flinched at the sound of it, but didn't say anything. They knew it was rare for Gray to lose his cool at something else other than Natsu. He hits the wall again so that this time all frustration built inside of him would be gone. The result of that was a hole in the wall.

"She'll be fine." Gildarts reassured. "She isn't my pupil for nothing." He laughed.

"Pupil?" Lucy gasped, "I didn't know you had a student!"

"Of course you didn't." Master laughed, "It hasn't been long since you joined us, Lucy."

"How come I never seen or heard of her before?" Lucy pulled a chair over to sit. Happy climbed into her lap and listened intently.

"Since young, Haruhi has been a quiet one. She doesn't have much to say, but even when she does, she's not as loud as Natsu." Gildart replied and scratched the back of his head, "Well, it would be nice to see her like Natsu once an while. I guess she grew accustomed to being quiet after I left for the 100 year quest. I bet she spent the entire time in solitude. Partially my fault, really."

Lucy nodded, "Oh, so she was here when she was younger?"

"Somewhat." Mira answered, "She's actually not from here. Her family is actually from a town across the sea from us." She stepped over to drape a cold, wet face towel over Haruhi's forehead. Gray pulled it off a second later and placed his hand over instead. He was certain that by using his ice magic, it'll cool her down.

"Haru actually had been dropping in to receive requests. It's just that each time she came no one was here, but Mira and I." Master answered.

"I see." Lucy nodded. "So, she's a wind magic user, right? That wind was powerful." She giggled," The way she looked when she arrived was just like how you were when you came back." She said, referring to Gildarts. Gildarts cleared his throat and tried to hide his embarrassment.

"S-She takes a lot of habits from me." He cleared his throat again.

"How long does it usually take her to come out of this?" Gray asked solemnly.

"Normally it would take her up to at least an hour or so. However, one time she overly exerted her power during a request which resulted her to be out for three days."

Gray shook his head, "She's still so careless."

"She must have extraordinary magic power then." Lucy grinned. She looked at the others to see if they'll agree with her, but the looks on their faces weren't right. _Did I say something wrong again?_

"Mh, I suppose." Master nodded. "Where has Natsu gone?"

Lucy stood up promptly with Happy hovering by her side. "I'll look for him!" She said and left the room. The others stayed quiet and listened to the door shut completely. The only thing that could be heard was Haruhi's deep breathing.

"To tell you guys the truth, I'm surprised to see her here. And, to hear that she's been accepting requests." Gildart brushed his hand over hers, "Before I told her my plans about the quest, I specifically ordered her to return home to Masahiro and Ayana. It's too dangerous for her to be alone on requests and to even live on her own."

"Now, now, you can't say that since she's taken a liking to you since she was a child." Master smiled, "You're her teacher after all."

"Yeah, I know." Gildart stood up, "There must be something wrong for her to show up here all of a sudden."

"Maybe it's because you came back." Mira interrupted. "After all, the news about your return did spread quickly throughout Fiore."

Gildarts dismissed it with the shake of his head firmly. He walked to the door with a heavy heart.

"Please take care of her." He said and left.

"Can you quit walking so fast?" Lucy called out to Natsu. She and Happy had just found him wandering around the town with his head down as if he was deep in thought. They waited for him to slow down, but they ended up running after him. "What's your problem, Natsu?" She yanked his arm back. That was when she faced a Natsu she didn't recognize. "H-Hey, are you alright?" She asked, trying to search for the bright cheery boy she knew from within the depressed look she got.

"How is she?" He asked in barely a whisper. Lucy released him after feeling absolutely no strength in him. She stepped back and stared at him. She had no idea why he was acting the way he was.

"Why don't you check on her yourself?" She pointed back in the direction of the guild, "You'll know then." She grabbed his arm, though, this time Natsu pulled back.

"Natsu.." Happy mumbled, tugging on the boy's pants.

"I CAN'T FACE HER!" He shouted in a brink of tears. He hurriedly blinked them away and turned the other direction. "I...I can't." He bit his lips.

"I don't... understand." Lucy stuttered.

"I couldn't... protect her." He balled up his fists, "I promised her I would. I promised." He held out his hand stared at his pinky finger that he could remember clearly wrapping around hers. He formed them back into a fist and clenched his teeth. Memories of bloodshed and screaming filled his mind. To him it felt as if his memories were suffocating him. The guilt in his heart was unbearable.

"It wasn't your fault, Natsu.. You nor Grays." Happy teared up, "It was my fault.. I couldn't.."

Natsu shook his head and sighed, "That's why I can't face her."

Suddenly, Natsu was lifted from the ground. He had thought it was Happy's doing, but the cat was standing right in front of him. He followed the two's gaze to see Gildarts being the one lifting him by the back of the shirt.

"It was an accident." The man corrected, "No one would of predicted that normal job would of been S-Class. If you were to blame someone, you would blame me, Master and the people who requested the job completion." He let the boy go, "You guys were... and still kids. Forgive yourself."

"I can't." Natsu shook his head again. "I hate myself for what happened." He whispered. Gildarts reached out and grabbed Natsu's head. He bent down to become eye level with him and looked him straight in the eyes.

"If you don't see her the second she wakes up, you should hate yourself even more." He said and pushed him back. "Think about it Natsu, alright?" He waved and walked home. The tears Natsu fought desperately to hold back overflowed.

"D-Damn it." He gritted his teeth.

And like that, for the next week Natsu and Gray had been tending to Haruhi's every need during the day until night they were with her. They looked after her doing things such as changing the towel on her forehead, helping her to drink water and keeping tabs on her health so that Wendy and Mira knows what's going on. Wendy had tried to heal her, but for some unknown reason, Haruhi's body was rejecting Wendy's magic.

"Gray, how long has it been?" Natsu asked solemnly, sitting next to Haruhi. He held her hand that was still burning. Her fever like symptoms haven't reduced at all.

"A week and two days." Gray frowned and crossed the days off on the calendar Master had brought before. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You know what I realized? We haven't fought in a week and two days." Natsu smiled a bit.

Gray scoffed, "What? Do you want to start a fight in front of Haru?"

"No." He shook his head and laughed, "If we did, she'd wake up right away and beat the crap out of us. Her hand to hand combat skills are nearly the same as Gildarts." He reminisced on the many times Haruhi would become a tag team with Erza whenever he and Gray brougth trouble.

"You're not scared?"

"Of what? Of getting beat by her? Not really.." Natsu cleared his throat, "kind of.."

"Of facing her when she wakes up." Gray walked over and sat in the chair on the other side of Haruhi. "Do you think she hates us?" He asked, but Natsu couldn't think of an answer. Instead, he changed the subject.

"It sure has been quiet around here." He faked a laugh. Gray was going to scold him for being to carefree, but a soft knock came from the door. They turned their heads to see Mira standing there.

"Why don't you guys come out for lunch?" She suggested, "I'll take over if you'd like."

"It's alright, Mira. After we eat, we'll go straight back to her." Gray said and walked out.

"Yay! Food~" Natsu happily raced out and almost immediately, he began to pick a fight with Gray over who was going to receive lunch first. Mira sighed and took one last glance at Haruhi before heading out as well. She was glad to see colour return to the girl's face.

_This warmth.. Where am I?_


	3. Chapter 3

"Ah~ I'm all filled up!" Natsu exclaimed, "Where's Wendy? Lucy? Old man?"

"Gildarts went home. He just came back from small request too." Warren answered.

"Wendy and Lucy is coming back later.." Cana also answered while taking a long chug of alcohol.

"Are you looking for a fight, Natsu?" Erza asked, which frightened him. He rigidly turned his head to face the feared Titania.

"O-OF COURSE NOT." He laughed nervously and waved it off. Erza rolled her eyes and proceeded to go find Master amongst the many drinking. It's as if the minute Master starts drinking, the noise level rises.

_It's so noisy here.._Haruhi's eyes fluttered open to find herself in a setting she didn't recognize. She looked around at the empty beds and the sunshine coming through the window near her. _A hospital?_

"Happy, stop it!" Gray cried from the lounge.

"You lllike her." He teased after catching Gray staring at the infirmary door. Gray groaned in frustration and quickly tried to cover Happy's mouth, but he was smart enough to fly away before he could do so.

_People?_ Haruhi slowly sat up. Her body felt sore and out of place. Everything felt heavy to her. She forced herself out of bed and made her ways to the door by holding onto things as support. By the time she reached the door handle, she was out of breath. _It's warm..._ She felt the door, _Could these be good people? _ She pulled the door open to see the loud, crazy guild members. Half of them were fighting and the other half were to busy drinking the day away. Suddenly, all was quiet and all eyes were on her. Not one of them seemed to want to blink an eye at her or they thought they'll miss her.

"Haru..hi." Gray and Natsu mumbled in shock. The entire guild was filled with murmurs of her well being and doubt if she was really the Haruhi they knew.

"Haruhi... You're safe." Mira cried silently to herself. "You're safe and sound."

"A-A man shouldn't cry." Elfman sniffled next to his sister. Whenever he saw Mira cry, he couldn't help, but cry along with her. Natsu stumbled to his feet and took a few steps closer to see Haruhi.

"We have a score to settle Haru!" Jet broke the silence when he used his speed magic on Haruhi. He dashed towards her and swung his arm, but she swiftly blocked. Before everyone knew it, instead of the warm welcoming party they had thought of, Jet and Haruhi were bouncing off the walls in immense speed while exchanging some punches and kicks. "Ooh, your speed improved." He commented after she blocked his punch. Everyone else barely managed to watch in awe. All the saw were blurred images and swirls of air when the two moved.

_My energy is draining, I have to end this now._ She thought as she backed up. She waited for him to attack and once he did, she sent him flying with one single kick when he was opened. _Because this man has lots of speed, he doesn't realize he leaves himself open._ She smirked in victory when Jet flew into Elfman who caught him with ease. She wanted to finish him off, but a stabbing pain in her lower abdomen refrained her from moving further.

"Something isn't right." Master got out of his drunken state and stood on top of the table. "Jet, stop." He called out to him who was about to repeat his attack.

"Who are you guys?" Haruhi frowned at the sight of everyone. Her question shocked the listeners. They couldn't understand what was coming out of Haruhi's mouth. The girl backed into the wall for support and wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead.

"What are you talking about? We're your family." Erza stepped out from one of the tables she sat at. "Are you saying you don't remember us, Haru?"

"Who are you, woman?" The look in Haruhi's eyes stayed unmoving. She was prepared to fight anyone else who was going to approach her.

"We're Fairy Tail!" Reedus said, "Haru are you feeling alright?"

"What's Fairy Tail?" She asked them and she received looks of horror and utter shock. The stabbing pain transferred from her abdomen to her head. She held the side of her head, hoping it would at least help subside the drilling pain.

"Oh, who's the new chick?" Gajeel asked as he walked into the guild without realizing the situation. Pantherlily took in the situation rather quickly and silenced Gajeel.

"Haruhi!" Lucy exclaimed, she was glad to see the girl up and well.

"Lucy.. Something isn't right." Wendy said timidly and pulled Lucy back. Lucy examined the atmosphere to also realize this. The two girls looked over to Natsu and Gray who were visibly shaking.

"How about Master?" Freed said, "You should remember him at least?"

"Or Natsu?" Wakaba pushed Natsu in front, "What about Gray?" He did the same with him. Natsu and Gray fearfully looked into the girl's eyes. They couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"NATSU! GRAY! STAY AWAY FROM HARU!" Gildarts barged in. The boys turned in shock to see how in a panic Gildarts was. The looked back at Haruhi who seemed to be using magic.

_Sky Dragon's Roar _Haruhi thought and almost immediately, the two other boys leaped away. Wendy and Carla gasped, having a gut feeling they know the name of Haruhi's attack. Gildarts raced to the front to where the girl was aiming her attack. He hurriedly blocked the attack using one of own his magic spells to counter. Luckily, his dissembling magic was able to counter and cease the attack from creating an explosion. The fact that Haruhi wasn't fully charged with magic, making the spell weak, also helped with the guild escaping from damage.

"That stance.." Lucy mumbled and looked at Wendy. Gildarts lets out a sigh of relief. He was glad that he was able to make it back to the guild in time before something like this were to escalate.

"What's wrong with her?" Natsu asked.

_These people... Are enemies?_ Haruhi glared at the man in front of her. She thought of possible ways to escape, but in a blink of an eye, she saw brown fabric pass her. Once she was able to come to what was happening, Gildart surprised her and socked her right in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of her and she felt light headed. Seconds later, she collapsed over his arm and he supported her up.

"She would have a temporary memory loss upon waking up. If you guys overwhelm her, she'll think of you guys as enemies. And man, don't get her to use her full powers on ya." He said, showing them a faint scar on his shoulder before heaving her up onto it.

"Y-You're lying... How can she be the reason for that scar..." Natsu stumbled back away from Gildarts, "You're the strongest wizard of Fairy Tail. Haruhi wouldn't be able to do that to you."

"Natsu... Everyone will change through the years. Just like how you become stronger every waking moment. Am I right, Gildarts?" Master spoke up.

Gildarts flashed them a smile and went to put Haruhi back into bed. "Let's just forget that this happened today. Why don't you all get ready for the welcome home party like you guys planned? She'll wake up after an hour."

"I'll get the decorations!" Levy smiled along with her Shadow Gear team. Though, before they left, she had to quickly scold Jet in front of everyone.

"I'll get her favourite sweets from the bakery." Erza smiled and left as well. Those who remained scrambled to clean the guild.

_You always caused the most trouble. _Gildart smiled and brushed a lock of Haruhi's hair from her face, _I'm glad you're finally awake._


	4. Chapter 4

"Where is she?" Lucy whispered. Everyone was in their place, waiting for the door to open so that they could surprise Haruhi. It's been ten minutes over the hour Gildarts estimated that the girl would wake again.

"Could I have hit her too hard?" Gildarts mumbled.

"YOU NEVER HOLD BACK!" Natsu shouted.

"I'll go see if she's doing fine." Natsu and Gray both volunteered. They glared at each other for saying the same exact sentence, but Erza's presence suppressed them from bickering.

"The handle's moving." Gajeel pointed out. Unlike the rest, he had no intentions of joining the celebration. He yawned lazily and proceeded to stuff his mouth with the sweets Erza bought.

"Welcome home, Haruhi!" Everyone shouted and pulled the confetti poppers.

"Everyone..." Haruhi scanned the faces of many. The applauding and cheering stopped when they saw her tears flowing. The energy died down and everyone didn't know what to do.

"Why are you crying, child?" Master walked over. His hand enlarged and he placed it over her head. "You shouldn't be crying." He stroked her head.

She wiped away her tears and grinned, "I'm home." She sniffed, "I'm home, everyone." With that, it started the big celebration. The adults began to drink, the young went on to converse and start trouble. Haruhi looked around filled with nostalgia. This was the home she'd been waiting all these years to come back to. "Master, how have you been? Is your health fine?" She crouched down and hugged him.

"Now, shouldn't I be asking you that question?" He patted her head, "You scared us collapsing like that." He shook his head, "Well, I'll talk to you about that later, but for now there's quite a few people wanting to speak with you." He stepped aside and gestured to Natsu. She looked in the direction to see Natsu and Gray looking nervous as ever.

"I'll speak with you later then, Master." She smiled and walked over. "Yo, Natsu!" She waved with the grin she adopted from Natsu.

"H-Haruhi.. It's been awhile." He greeted back with his voice cracking due to nervousness. He smiled and waved back

"Gray, still sporting that shirtless style." She pointed and laughed. Gray covered himself up embarrassingly and greeted her also. What she didn't know is that they both wanted to hold her in their arms.

"Haruhi!" Happy flew to her. "I missed you so much."

"You've grown so big, Happy." She stroked his head, "Still catching lots of fish in the river?"

"Mmh." He nodded and spread his wings, "After this, I'll go catch you a BIG one, okay?"

"That's a promise." She smiled. She walked over to Lucy and Wendy who immediately introduced themselves. "Inoue, Haruhi. Nice to meet all of you." She shook hands with them. She nodded to Carla who seemed not to like her.

_Her voice is so sweet._ Lucy thought.

"My name is Pantherlily and that's Gajeel" Lily pointed.

"Nice to meet you, Pantherlily. I heard lots about new recruits joining Fairy Tail. Even though you've been here long, I welcome you to the guild."

"So, you talk to them first, but not even your teacher?" Gildarts said, consuming a large cup filled with alcohol. She quietly walked over to the man and hung her head.

"It is nice to see you teacher. I'm glad you're safe after coming back from the 100 years quest." She said and bowed.

"Why are you being so serious all of a sudden?" He turned and placed his hand on her head. He smiled warmly, "I missed you, kiddo." He caressed her face. Her eyes stung with tears and began to overflow again. "D-Don't cry again." Gildarts said, visibly flustered. Cana secretly looked up from her usual quarrel with Wakaba and Macao to see Gildarts looking endearingly at Haruhi. Cana scoffed and returned to drinking.

_I can't tell them now._ Haruhi gritted her teeth, _I__ can't._

Shortly after drying her tears, she was being dragged left and right by the members trying to get a good look at her. Many commented on her transition from being a scrawny, short little girl to now an almost matured woman. They also did the comparison with Reedus's old and new potraits of her. One thing they for sure noticed was her change in personality. Gray and Natsu watched her the entire time. They were worried about her health since she was up and about after nearly two weeks of being in a coma like state. Also, they were still doubtful if this was the real Haruhi they knew. They kept insisting she's a fake, but they kept Master's words to heart. Perhaps, what the man said could of been true. They wanted to catch up with her to see how she was all these years, but the interference of everyone else made it nearly impossible to even stand beside here. Lucy and Wendy were also patiently waiting for their turn to befriend the girl.

By the time everyone was done with passing Haruhi around, Erza snatched her just before Natsu was going to call to her. The two made their ways outside and Natsu convinced the rest to trail them secretly. And so, himself, Gray, Lucy, Wendy and Happy went after them. Erza went ahead and showed the girl around town. Mostly to places that were renovated after the girl had left. They also went and visited the places that were from their child hood memories. Natsu and Gray reminisced as well. Erza had noticed the group stalking them the first ten minutes, but since Haruhi didn't seem to notice, she didn't say anything.

"So, where would you be staying tonight?" Erza asked as they were heading back to the guild. Haruhi looked up at the sky to see that the sun has finally settled and the moon replaced it's spot.

"Not sure." She answered. "I might not stay long. To be honest, I'm just here to see Teacher."

"Hm.. Gildarts?" Erza raised an eyebrow, "How inconsiderate of him to leave you alone on his quest." She shook her head.

_She's still the same Erza I know._ Haruhi laughed, "Teacher likes going on quests alone. I happened to be a tag along. But perhaps it was the best for us to separate ways back then."

Erza grabbed both her hands, "Let me get a good look of you." She twirled the girl around. "You've grown so much." She sniffed.

_Yup, the dramatic Erza alright. Another thing will never change is how she treats me like a little girl despite just being two years older._ Haruhi thought.

"You've grown quite strong too. How you battled – I mean I can feel your magic." She cleared her throat.

"But, I'll never be able to surpass you, Titania." Haruhi laughed which Erza joined as well.

_She could possibly have surpassed me._ Erza thought. Haruhi looked up at the newly furnished guild and let out a long sigh. She just couldn't accept the fact that she was standing in front of the guild.

"How long will all of you be hiding from us?" Her eyes left the guild plaque to see the group hiding behind a corner. They all peeked over to see that her smile underneath the moonlight as beautifully haunting. "I've been waiting all day for you all to come out." She reached out.

"Y-You noticed?" Gray stepped out first and gradually everyone else did.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about my nose." She pointed to it. "I can smell your magic from a mile away." She grinned. Lucy and Wendy lets out a gasps in wonder. They had no idea how powerful she was. They had already thought her minor sparring with Jet was amazing already.

"Ah, Erza, I'm glad you're still here!" Levy came out of the guild, "Master wanted to speak with you."

"Master?" Erza asked and the girl nodded. "I'll see you later then." Erza waved goodbye and retreated inside with Levy.

Haruhi sniffed the air, "Three Dragon Slayers. Fire, Steel and Sky." She grinned, "Makes four if you count Laxus." She recalled, "Not only have I changed , but our guild has. You all did a great work in building this guild. I'm sure Master is proud of all of you."

"You're included." Lucy smiled.

"I guess so." Haruhi giggled.

"Oh, you're still here?" Gildarts walked out with a brown leather sac over his shoulder. The sac would seem like a large pillow from far away. "Couldn't find a place to stay?"

Haruhi greeted him with a bow, "I'll manage somehow." She reassured, but he shook his head. He handed her a set of keys and placed his hand on her head.

"I'm going out for the day, but I'll be back tomorrow night. Keep the house clean, mkay?" He said. Haruhi obediently nodded.

"I'll speak with you all tomorrow then. I hope to really get to know you both, Lucy, Wendy." She waved and began to walk away.

"Don't break anything now or else.." Gildarts warned and she took his advice.

"Wait, Haruhi." Natsu called out and she stopped in her tracks. His head was facing the ground and his hands were balled up. The others looked at him with concern, but Haruhi didn't turn back. Gray had a gut feeling of knowing what Natsu is thinking. "That night several years ago..." He bit his lips.

Haruhi turned with a confused look on her face, "Which night?" She asked with a finger scratching the side of her head. He looked up in shock and as well for Gray.

"What do you mean 'which night'?" Gray asked with his hands shaking. The memories were flowing into him again which brought him slight fear.

"There's a lot of nights, Gray." She laughed, but the two didn't see why it was so funny to her.

"That night.. Gray and I..."His voice shook, "Gray and I..."

"Happy too!" Happy mumbled, but they ultimately ignored him.

"That night ...on the island.." Gray said cautiously. He wasn't sure how she'd react once she remembers.

"We were on a island?" She furrowed her eye brows.

_She doesn't remember?_ Lucy stared at Natsu with worry.

"It's late and you need more rest. Why don't you run along now, Haruhi. I'll bring you back something good tomorrow night so don't leave the town." Gildarts interrupted and shooed her. "Make sure to dress warmly, eat lots and if you're feeling sick go visit the guild." He nagged.

"Be safe, Teacher." She waved, "See you all tomorrow!" She said and went on her way.

Gildarts watched her disappear down the streets before facing Natsu and Gray. Both were visibly distressed and shaking. He lets out a sigh and dropped his sac. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the boys to look at him.

"Why is she like that?" Gray whispered, "Why is she acting like nothing happened?"

Natsu gritted his teeth and glared at the ground. He had no idea what else to say.

"She wasn't acting." Gildarts finally spoke. The boys gasped and their attention was fully locked on the man. "That day where she used up all her magic power.. She was defending a small village. I was out on a job when she took up a request without me knowing. When I had gotten home, I read the letter she left behind. She told me her exact whereabouts and how long she would be staying in that village. She said it'll take her approximately a day to finish. I waited around the next morning, but she never showed up." He sighed, "I went to the village she had said in her letter to see that half the village was destroyed. The other half was thriving and peaceful. When I asked where she was, the village chief showed me to her room. That's when I found out how serious her condition was. It was far more worse than her previous attacks. The village chief said she protected the village from enemy attack. I presume that her entire life was on the line which means she depleted nearly all her magic power. When I saw her, she was lying on the bed lifelessly. Sometimes she would be breathing so heavily to where it was frightening to watch. It looked as if her lungs were failing – as if she was dying. I was angry no, absolutely furious for the fact that she went alone, but I was mostly furious at myself. As her teacher.. I couldn't protect her during her time of need."

"W-What happened next?" Natsu stuttered.

"She woke up after three days. It felt as if a miracle hit the village. Everyone rejoiced to see that she was fine. But, like I said back in the guild... The second she woke up, she didn't remember anything or anyone." He pointed to the scar, "It was the worst of all. I had to physically stop her from leaving the village on a rampage and it nearly caused the other half of the village to wipe out." He sighed again, "Perhaps, since she took a longer time to recover from her magic loss, so did her memories from back then. But how she took almost two weeks to wake up today, I feared for the worst. I'm glad I came back in time to stop her. Can you imagine what the girl would do to the town if she nearly wiped out half a village after three days?" He laughed, "Anyway, long story short. There's a chance that Haruhi doesn't remember that incident. Forget about it, okay? I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys the truth earlier. " He grinned and picked up his sac, "Well, see you guys."

As they listened to Gildarts foot steps moving further and further away, Lucy and Wendy also decided to leave Gray and Natsu alone. They mumbled their goodbyes and awkwardly went away.

"Now what?" Natsu sighed and glanced over at Gray. Gray looked up and faced the sky.

"We should... I don't know.." He squeezed his fist. "See you." He shoved his hands in his pocket and began to walk away.

Later that evening, the boys were tossing and turning wide awake. They decided to get up and go for a walk to clear their heads. Soon later, they found themselves standing outside of Gildarts's house. As for Gray his hand was hesitant in knocking the wooden door.

"What are you doing here?!" Natsu shouted while pointing vigorously. Gray flinched at the sound of him before hurriedly running over to keep his mouth shut.

"I can ask you the same!" He replied after moving a few steps away from the house. "AH what are you doing with that pillow and blanket?! Happy you too?"

"We can ask you the same Gray.." Happy yawned and pointed at the boy's attire.

"Shut up!" Gray blushed and hid his pillow behind his back. An odd silence went through the air as the boy stared at each other. But, of course like always Natsu was the one to break the silence.

"Well, I'm going to sleep over at Gildarts tonight." Natsu walked up to the door, "Like I always had."

"Well, I'm only here for Haru." Gray scoffed and walked to the door as well. Surprisingly to them, the door was unlocked. They slowly pushed the door open and the first thing they saw was the dimming fire in the fire place. The small fire was the only thing lighting up the entire house. They quietly entered into the warmth.

"Haruhi is sleeping." Happy whispered and pointed to the girl laying a meter away from the fire. She was curled up in a sleeping bag. Natsu went over to the fire and added some flame to keep the fire going. Gray went over to Haruhi and made sure she was covered up since it was a bit chilly.

"Remember the last time we had a sleep over like this. We were so young." Natsu stared into the heart of the flame, "We almost burnt the house down."

"What do you mean we? You nearly did. Haru and I saved the house." Gray shook his head and laid down near the girl. Natsu groaned a bit and laid down as well. "You know Natsu.." Gray turned to face the boy, though he was immediately disturbed by how quickly the boy fell asleep. "Same as always." He sighed and closed his eyes.

Haruhi sniffed the air to make sure it was their scent. She already heard them from outside, but she didn't know how to approach them without making everything uncomfortable. She smiled at the sound of their soft breathing. Because they were here, she didn't feel so lonely anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't wait for a rematch with Haruhi." Jet said, he was fired up.

Erza nodded her head, "Yes, I want to spar with her too. I'm sure she has gotten stronger."

"Do you think she'll be able to take the exam this year?" Jet asked.

"If she wishes it." Erza replied, "I believe Master also has acknowledged her growth in strength since he's seen her quite a few times without us knowing."

"I wonder what Haruhi wants to eat this morning." Mira smiled, "It's her first meal back after all."

"I'm sure you'll make her something amazing to eat." Wendy smiled as well.

"W-Wait, why am I dragged into this?" Lucy asked. They were on their way to Gildarts house.

Gajeel shrugged, "Beats me." He looked down at Lily, "Right?"

"I guess so." Lily said.

"Just what kind of a person is this Haruhi?" Carla asked in her usual prickly manner.

"She seems like a kind person, Carla." Wendy answered.

"Well, all of you here should get to know our Haruhi." Loke answered to which of Lucy's surprise.

"What are you doing here?" She raised her voice.

"Relax, Lucy. I used my own magic power to get here."

"We're here." Erza interrupted. They stopped at the house and quickly took notice of the chimney smoke. "She must be awake."

"Alright." Jet smirked, "Let's see who's the fastest Fairy Tail wizard." He pumped his fist. Lily and Carla were the first to open the door. Upon seeing the four sleeping on the ground, Lily froze and Carla blushed.

"What's wrong, Carla?" Wendy asked and also peeked into the house. She also blushed madly. The others looked over her head and saw the four sleeping soundingly.

"EHHHH?"

Haruhi bolted up in the sound of everyone's confusion. After her, it was a domino effect for the others. They woke up groggily, unaware that their friends were standing before them.

"Good morning.." Happy mumbled and his Exeed friends went over.

"What are you doing here, Happy?" Lily asked and helped him up.

"Sleep... over." Happy answered.

"What are you all doing here?" Gray asked and rubbed his eyes.

"Y-Your clothes." Lucy pointed to his bare chest.

"Juvia came back.." Mira told him nervously, "today.."

"Good morning, everyone." Haruhi got up and smiled at them. "Welcome?"

"Ah, you guys are so noisy." Natsu groaned and laid back down, "Especially you, Lucy."

"Shut up Natsu!" Lucy shouted, "What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"Sleeeeep over." Happy answered again. "We always slept over each others houses."

"Shall I make some tea?" Haruhi walked over to the kettle and filled it up with water. She brought the kettle over to Natsu and made him boil it in an instant. She put some tea flavoring into the hot water before pouring into several of cups. As she handed out the cups, she cast a low level spell to help cool down the hot tea. Wendy who was watching intently was amazed by how she was. Even if the spell was minor, Wendy wanted to become just like Haruhi. "How have you been, Loke?" Haruhi turned to the man in a crisp suit. "I'm glad you finally found a kind owner."

"I should be asking you that." He said, "The last I heard from you from Master was that you were recovering from an injury."

Haruhi laughed, "That was a long time ago, I'm fine." She took a sip of her tea, "What brings everyone here today?"

"Yeah, you could of waited for Haru to go to the guild instead of finding her here." Gray said on behalf of Natsu who was still sulking from being woken up.

"Haruhi, I challenge you to a battle for the fastest Fairy Tail wizard." Jet smirked.

"What are you talking about, you're obviously the fastest." She laughed again.

He shook his head, "No, your Wind magic is the most versatile. Just by disrupting the air beneath your feet, you're already very fast."

"Guess my secret has been found out." She smiled, "Your analysis got better."

"Of course. I still won't forget the last time we versed each other when you came to visit with your parents." He sighed, "I got an earful after you left."

"I'm here to spar with you, Haruhi." Erza said, calmly. "Our talk last night got me wondering how much your skill has improved."

"I don't think I can last even a second with you." Haruhi spoke nervously.

"What do you want to eat for breakfast, Haruhi?" Mira smiled, "It's been so long so I'm not sure if your preference in flavor changed."

"Still the same." She grinned.

"That's great! Come to the guild in a few minutes, alright?" Mira stood up, "Thank you for the tea. See you later." She waved and left.

"Alright! Let's go and eat!" Natsu exploded with excitement. "C'mon, Happy."

"Shall we go eat, everyone?" Haruhi asked and the rest agreed, but decided to stay behind a few minutes.

"Wow, I never been in here before." Jet said, scouring the house.

"Now, don't go off and be touching things." Erza scolded, "You don't want Gildarts to come back raging at you." Natsu and Jet immediately froze in spot. Possible punishments from the feared Gildarts went through their mind. They took heed to Erza's words and stopped what they were planning on doing.

"I'm glad you two are here today." Haruhi sat next to Lucy and Wendy. She looked down at Carla, but the cat still gave her the cold shoulder. "So sorry about yesterday. I wanted to get to know you two, but the others were... yeah."

"How are you feeling?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, I felt a whole lot better throughout last night. It's just a little headache that comes once an awhile that bugs me."

"I can fix that." Wendy stood up with great passion. "My speciality is healing magic." She raised her hands and held them by Haruhi's head. After a few seconds, Haruhi's didn't feel any change, but she faked it anway. "How do you feel now?"

Haruhi beamed, "Thanks, Wendy! That's amazing. The annoying throbbing is gone."

Wendy blushed madly and sat back down. "G-Glad that I can help."

_Seems like Wendy is still too timid to ask the questions._ Carla thought and jumped off the chair. Haruhi took notice of the emotions on Carla face, but said nothing.

"Yo, Haruhi." Gajeel pats Haruhi's shoulder out of nowhere. She flinched at the sudden contact and he only laughed his unique laugh.

"Don't touch her like that!" Gray shouted from across the room, but he was too busy with trying to get Erza from attacking Natsu who defied her orders.

"I could say that to you.." Lucy sweat dropped.

"Let's have a match after you're done with the other two." Gajeel smirked, "I'll wait for you at the park." He said and left, "Lily, let's go."

Haruhi glanced over at Erza and the others to see the girl manhandling the two boys. She whacked them both on the side of the head to which brought amusement to Jet.

"Maybe we should leave." Wendy suggested, "I think we should return to the guild."

"Nice idea, Wendy." Lucy stood up abruptly. She went over to Natsu and grabbed him by his scarf, "Let's go everyone!" She said and dragged the boy out of the house.


	6. Chapter 6

"This is delicious, Mira." Haruhi complimented as she took the last bite of her mild curry rice.

"I'm glad you like it" Mira smiled and looked to the others who were also enjoying their food. "I'll make it for you every day if you'd like." Tears stung Haruhi's eyes just hearing those words come out of the soft spoken Mira.

"Thanks." Haruhi cleared her throat and washed everything down with water.

"So, what about our match?" Jet stood up from his table.

"Match?" Levy asked, watching him walk over to Haruhi. He leaned against the counter and looked Haruhi in the eyes.

"After my match with her first." Erza interrupted.

"You guys can go after me." Gajeel laughed and stood up, "How about it, Haruhi?"

"Don't act like you're close!" Gray shouted from across the room again.

"This should be fun." Macao commented and stood up as well.

"I bet Haruhi is going to pummel all of them." Wakaba laughed loudly and followed, "Well, not sure about Erza."

"No one's going to touch Haruhi." Natsu spoke up with his mouth full, "If anyone's doing the fighting, I am." He chugged down the warm tea. He lets out a long satisfied sigh before standing up. "You're going down!" He pointed to the three.

"Since Sarusuke asked first.." Haruhi timidly motioned to the grinning boy.

"Man, I haven't heard that name in awhile." Jet blushed, "Let's go!" He said and dashed out the door. Haruhi followed with several guild members wanting to watch. They went to the back of the guild to where Jet was. "It's going to be simple. Whoever pins the other down first wins." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sounds good. "Haruhi took off her jacket. The two let their magic power leak to show intimidation. From afar, they looked as if they were floating. Jet made the first move, attempting to land a punch, but she dodged back in time. Those watching observed the difference between the two's use of magic. Like Jet had said, unlike his own magic, Haruhi manipulated the air pressure around her body to make her go fast and for her body to become lighter. That is the difference between their power. Haruhi counter attacks which made a huge gust of wind. She came into contact with Jet who successfully dodges most of her moves. He does a quick right kick and it knocked her sense of balance. Before she hit the ground, she was able to do a quick flip from pushing herself off the ground.

_Something's different. _Jet quickly took notice. _The power she had last day was completely different from right now._

Haruhi took advantage of his distraction and tackled him. Jet was just about to fall on his back, but he turned around and stopped himself by holding out his arms.

"This is not time to be doing push ups!" Droy shouted along with Levy.

"Shut up! I know what I'm doing." Jet reassured, trying to get back into focus.

"I think their speed matches each other." Erza mumbled, "I can't really tell who is faster at reacting."

The two came into contact again and this time, the wind was strong enough to push the other members back a few centimetres. They braced themselves from the harsh wind. They could only see something like a tornado forming around the two. The sand and tree leaves mixed in which made it even harder to see. The wind eventually died down and the outcome was Jet over top Haruhi. No one believed it. Especially Jet. After all, she's Gildarts treasured student. It was silent for a few seconds, but soft laughter that came from Haruhi and the crashing of the waves interrupted the peace. Jet got off of her and released her wrists he pinned down. She sat up and patted his shoulder.

"Guess you keep the title again. The next match I swear I'll take it from you." She dusted herself off.

Jet smiled a bit, "The next match better not be four years from now." He wasn't fully content with his victory. He swore he saw a look of anxiety when he was engulfed in the magic power with her.

"Your bracelet.." He grabbed her right wrist,. "I think I made it crack.."

Haruhi look down at her wrist and her stomach dropped at the sight of the thin line on the violet gem. She pulled her arm away and covered the bracelet.

"I'll get it fixed," He said, but she shook her head.

"Don't worry, it's really old anyway." She went over the detailing on the silver band with the pad of her thumb. She didn't dare touch the center where the gem was.

"My turn." Erza called out and they turned to her. She was in her samurai armour. Instead of the usual sword, it was two wooden kendo sword. She tossed one towards Haruhi and Jet caught it. He hands it over and whispered a good luck before walking over to Levy and Droy.

"You got this kiddo!" Macao shouted.

"You can do it, Haru!" Elfman said.

_Do they realize who I'm up against?_ Haruhi smiled nervously.

"There will only be one rule. The duel will end whoever loses their sword first." Erza said and stood in a ready position. Haruhi was unsure of the safety since both of them weren't wearing protective armor. She wasn't liking the fact that they'll be getting bruised from the swords.

Haruhi took a deep breath to prepare herself. She stared into Erza's eyes with determination and also took the stance. A loud intimating cry comes from Erza as she's the one who makes the first move. Haruhi blocked the impact that came and she had almost totally forgotten about Erza's crazy strength. It took almost all her strength to push Erza back. She breathed heavily, a little afraid of Erza's next move.

"Don't tell me your forgotten the way of the blade." Erza held out her sword, her gaze hasn't shifted. "Come. If you really are Gildart's disciple!"

Haruhi gritted her teeth and went for the attack. She swung a few times and clashed swords with Erza. They hit each other a few times, making each other wince in pain from the blunt weapon brought. They attack each other with great speed, but both of them wasn't showing any signs of admitting defeat. Haruhi wiped away her sweat adn so did Erza.

_Seems like taunting her worked. _Erza thought,_ Just like I suspected, she's gotten better._

_Erza is still so strong.. _Haruhi adjusted her footing. _My hands are getting sweaty because I'm so nervous. Her aura is so scary._

Erza sprinted forward and raised her sword high. Haruhi looked up and timed the seconds she'll swing down. In less than a second, the stick came down. The others with weak stomachs looked away, but looked back when they heard gasps. Haruhi managed to push Erza's sword to the right and held her sword over her head in that split second, but instead of keeping her sword there, Haruhi struck Erza's shoulder lightly. Erza backed away in surprise because she was unsure why the girl didn't leave her sword above her head. Haruhi would of won the duel since if it was real life battled, Erza would of died. Haruhi came to strike again which snapped Erza out of her thoughts. They clashed once more and locked together. Each of them battling for power. None of them were budging. Suddenly, the bells rang indicating the start of Gildarts Shift.

"He's back early." Lucy said aloud what everyone was thinking. Erza felt the loss of strength on Haruhi's side and the sword flies across towards Natsu. The boy screamed in surprise, though, like everyone else, he was waiting for the shifting of the town.

"_False alarm everyone. False alarm."_ Warren notified them telepathically. _"We don't see him anywhere._"

"Pick up your sword." Erza said, but Haruhi sheepishly smiled.

"I loss." She said, "Rules are rules after all right, Titania?"

"You only let go because you thought Gildarts was coming back."

"Alright! My turn!" Gajeel stepped forward. Erza turned to glare at him and he slowly stepped back.

"Maybe you guys should have a break." Mira came out with a tray of refreshments. Everyone went over immediately, but Haruhi. Her attention was entirely on the sky.

_Something's coming._ She thought and held out her hand. The small breeze that blew by picked up a scent of something stomach churning.

"Eh, what's that smell? Natsu lifted his head and sniffed the air, "It smells musky."

"I don't notice anything, Natsu." Wendy commented.

"Me neither." Gajeel agreed.

"Did you step in shit?" Gray teased and waited for Natsu to explode.

"No... It smells like it's coming from the forest.. A large amount of it."

"What's wrong Haruhi? Not going to have some?" Macao asked, holding out a cup of lemonade. Suddenly, the girl broke out into run heading towards the location Natsu had said.

"We should go after her." Gray stood up, "It looks like something's wrong." He said and ran after her. Little did he know, he ran right by Juvia who had just heard of Haruhi's arrival. The others exchanged looks and with a shrug, they went after them.

_I smell him. His smell is surrounded by that other scent. _Haruhi thought. She arrived at the entrance of the forest, trying to sniff out where the scent was coming from. Soon, she found herself in the heart of the forest.

"Ugh, what is this." Gildart's voice came from her side. She turned to see the man sitting on the ground examining the oily goo.

"Teacher." She rushed over in a panic.

"What are you doing here?" He asked coolly, not letting her near the stuff he had on him.

"Are you okay?" She asked while using her magic to blow the excess off.

"Some creepy doll came out and attacked me." He sighed, "Then it spat out this stuff." He gave a look of disgust.

"Haruhi!" Natsu's loud voice came from behind them. "Oh, old man you're here too?"

The rest showed up behind them and almost all of them were throwing questions at Gildarts. The ground shook violently as if the Master was walking in his giant form. The branches from a distance snapped and hit the ground. They whipped their heads around and what emerged from the dust and sand was what Gildarts said. A paper doll as tall as the trees with the word death written on it's body stood before them.

"Did that thing do this to you?" Natsu said and cracked his knuckles. He eyed the monster and got goosebumps just looking at it. "It looks so creepy. Well. Since it's made out of paper, I'll just settle things by burning it." He smirked and ran towards the doll with his first engulfed in flames. He gave it a good whack on the crown of it's head, but it surprisingly absorbed the fire. The fire did nothing, but stain the paper with char. The doll's hand came around and smacked Natsu face down. He propelled downwards, but luckily, Macao, Wakaba and Elfman caught him in time.

"Natsu.. Do you smell that?" Haruhi glared at the doll.

"Yeah, that obnoxious smell coming from Gildarts." Natsu shuddered and stood up. "It's screwing up my sense of smell."

"Why don't you keep your mouth shut." Gildarts scowled at him. Haruhi scanned the faces of the members while noting what power they had.

"That wasn't what I meant." She sighed. _Everyone, but Natsu, Gray and I can't do anything. If my thinking is right, there could be oil within the doll that'll make it explode all together if it is lit. The doll probably absorbed his fire either because that is the doll's magic power or to prevent his fire from burning it. _She turned back and looked behind the ground. Someone was hiding behind a bush. "J...Juvia, corret?" She asked and the blue haired girl awkwardly came out of hiding. "Do you mind if you wash my teacher off with you magic?" She pointed to the grumpy man.

"O-Okay." She said and walked over. Gildarts was soon dosed with water to much of his dislike.

"Why don't we all attack it?" Jet suggested.

"Everyone, but Natsu, Gray and I stand back." Haruhi ordered and everyone moved as told despite being in deep confusion. She was just about to continue her explanation when Natsu attacked it without warning. The same result came and this time, Gray was the one who caught the boy. The impact caused them both to topple over each other. Gray saw from the corner of his eyes, Haruhi running towards the doll.

"Not you too!"He shouted. The girl ran towards the doll with air focused rapidly in hand. She got onto the head and punched straight through. She hoped for that her magic to seep through and make the papers fly. And like what happened with Natsu, her magic was dispelled. When she tried to yank her arm out from the paper, head, the paper around her wrist started to tighten to where she felt her skin being teared. She bit her lip and held the scream coming from the back of her throat. With no other choice, she released a large amount of power within the doll and the papers were blown apart. The paper from the head came apart and released her arm. She managed to catch a glimpse of an brown orb in the center of the doll. She suspected it to be the source of oil. She leaped back to safety to see the papers coming back together. The doll, enraged, began to spit out globs of oil.

"Your arm!" Lucy pointed out. Haruhi looked down to see a thin paper cut all around her wrist. She wiped the blood away and looked for Juvia. The girl had just finished washing the oil off of Gidlarts.

_Okay, now teacher is safe. _Haruhi sighed, "Gray can you cover the surrounding area with ice?" She asked and the boy who caught on quickly nodded. "Natsu."

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"Natsu shouted and the fire hit the dooll. This time, instead of absorbing the doll directed the fire towards the oils already spilt.

"JUVIA!"Gray shouted. The two hurriedly went to action with putting the fire out. "Natsu you're so stupid! When will you start catching on?"

"Maybe we should help them." Wendy said, but Macao blocked her.

"Let them do it." He said softly, "The three haven't fought together in a while. They were the second strongest junior team after all. Remember that, Gildarts?"

Gildarts shuddered, "Up against Erza, Mirajane and Laxus, right? How long ago was that?" He ran his fingers through his hair, "The poor kids were out for several weeks."

"L-Laxus?" Lucy gasped and recalled the violent thunder that went through the guild. "They fought against them? You're lying."

"Yup, lasted half an hour against them. That's already amazing considering how they were years ago." Wakaba said, "They managed to scratch Erza's armor and tear part of Laxus's shirt."

"A-Amazing.." Wendy stuttered, imaging the battles she witnessed Erza in. She stared at the three in admiration.

"Watch it! I'm going for the second time." Natsu smirked and took a few steps forward. "Cover me, okay? I'll get 'em this time!"

"NATSU! WAIT, I'M NOT DONE YET!" Gray shouted in alarm, his arms were still out summoning more ice.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu announced and directed a powerful amount of fire. Everyone watched the fire aim at the doll, but as they watched on, they noticed the stream of fire being sucked into something. They were in shock to find out that Haruhi was in front of all that fire. They were even more shocked to see her inhaling the fire. The doll used her distraction to knock her down towards Natsu. Lucy was able to summon Aries in time to create a wool cushioning for Haruhi to land in.

"W-What are you.." Natsu asked, unable to believe that the Haruhi standing before them has Dragon Slayer abilities. "Y-You can't be a Dragon Slayers. Igneel and the rest disappeared seven years ago.."

Haruhi slowly stood up from the wool with her eyes were downcast. The area around her mouth and her clothes were tainted with char. "Thank you for the meal." She smirked, knowing it's Natsu's line and wiped the char off her face. The older men exchanged looks of anxiety, but didn't say anything. They weren't sure of what to do. The doll raised it's leg to crush them, though, Haruhi and Natsu was able to dodge in time.

"I'm almost done." Gray panted.

"Lily!" Haruhi turned to one of the three silent exceeds. He quickly responded and expanded his wings. He grabbed the girl by the back of the shirt collar and lifted her into the air, "Make sure to hide behind me." She advised and he nodded. She sighed loudly before bringing both her fists to her mouth. "Fire and Sky Dragon's Roar." She muttered and breathed out. A thin stream came out of her mouth and into her fists before producing a huge flame. It was the same fire magic Natsu performed, but two times stronger. It was a flame by far the most powerful Natsu felt like he ever came close to. It could almost be on par with Igneel's own. A huge explosion resulted as soon as the fire hit. Lily pulled back with caution and the two observed from above. Once everyone was positive that the doll had met it's demise, Juvia and Gray went to put out the flames.

"So.. that's how fire tastes like." Haruhi spoke softly and Lily released her. Gray and Natsu came running over to her to support her body. Her magic was drained, making it difficult for her body to function. A stabbing like pain started in her abdomen which made her collapse into their arms. "I.. feel.. so nasty.." She croaked and struggled to maintain her posture.

"You have a side effect too?" Lucy went over, "Wait.. does that mean you're a dragon slayer too?"

Haruhi pushed herself away from the boys and went over to where the doll was. She scanned the burnt ground and stopped by a small flame. Right next to the flame was the burnt remains of her bracelet. Gajeel happened to come over to pick up the hot metal for her since the metal didn't affect him.

"Come, Haruhi. I'll carry you back." Gildarts said and stood up. Everyone disapproved his idea. "Well, might I say you're still very good at analyzing opponents. And as for you nimrod - "

"You still smell so nasty." Natsu pinched his nose.

"Ooh, really?" Gildarts glared at the boy who carefully cowered away. Without a word, Gray went over and swooped Haruhi off her feet. She felt extremely embarrassed to have him hold her and it felt very uneasy to have Juvia watching.

"Let's get back." Gray said and led the group back to the guild.


End file.
